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Encouragement for Today - June 1, 2007

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation.” Job 13: 15 (NKJ)

Devotion:

I prayed the entire trip to the hospital in the ambulance. The doctors finally came out to me and said, “She died.” I walked back to see her and as I put my hand on her foot she started to breathe and her heart started to beat again. Wow, God heard my prayers and worked a miracle!

Years later I met a little boy named Drew. His parents said he had been the picture-perfect boy, full of life. Then suddenly his whole life changed. He was diagnosed with cancer. His life became fragile quickly, that’s when I met him. He could no longer talk, he could only nod and smile at me when I visited to pray for him. He also had a large prayer team that came everyday, they anointed him with oil and prayed continuously and believed that God could heal him.

I stood by Drew’s bed with his parents as they sobbed in his last hours. We prayed as he died.It was one of the saddest hours of my life. I cannot imagine his parents’ pain. What a contrast from seeing someone brought back to life.

I have eye-witnessed miracles of healing, and also times that God didn’t heal the way I wanted Him to. Why is it that some people are healed and some are not?

People were healed miraculously in the Bible and others lost their families like Job. We see Stephen in the book of Acts who was actively preaching Christ and was stoned to death. It surely was not lack of faith that caused Stephen to die, nor was God incapable of saving Job’s family.

We yearn so desperately for answers to why the horrible things happen, but God doesn’t come down and explain. Could it be sin standing in the way of our prayers?Could it be a lack of faith?Or could it just be God’s will, which we often don’t fully comprehend? We simply won’t always know why certain things have to happen in our life - until the end of time when God wipes the tears from every eye and makes all things new. Then and only then will we know the answers, and fairness will reign.

Until that day we must trust in God that He knows best. Have faith that God can heal, and does heal. But trust Him when He doesn’t answer your prayers the way you prayed.

I don’t believe lack of faith or sin had anything to do with the loss of Job’s family or Stephen’s life. May Job’s life speak to your heart in that he trusted God even in the midst of his agony and didn’t lose his faith in his mighty God.

If you or someone you know is sick or needs a miracle, pray believing that God will work a miracle. I have witnessed the miraculous power of prayer over the sick many times and I know that God can do all things. I also know that you can trust Him no matter what the outcome is.

Dear Lord, Help me to trust you even in the valley of the shadow of death. Lift me up when I am weak and help me to be strong.In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Take time to write your prayers in a journal. You will be amazed to look back and see how God’s hand was with you all along, even though He didn’t seem to be answering for long periods of time. Write past prayers answered, it will encourage you today.

Reflections:

Is there someone in your life going through the valley of the shadow of death?

How can you walk along side of them and help carry them through this hard time?

Power Verses:

Philippians 1:19-20, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or death.” (NKJ)

James 5: 13-14, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him will oil in the name of the Lord.” (NKJ)